One of the first surprises of Lila’s puppyhood was her outsized bark.Even though she was still tiny, she produced a sound deep and robust.It should have been coming from a much larger dog.And now that she’s a fully-grown but not particularly big Labrador, her bark continues to exceed expectations.

When the telephone man recently turned up on our property, he looked around uneasily for the monstrous dog sounding off somewhere out of sight.I assured him that he would not be mauled and to please feel free to go about his business.I could see he wasn’t convinced.[read more below]

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I’ve always considered Labradors a quiet breed, but Lila flaunts her fierce voice with great regularity.Any excuse will do:A magpie landing.A kangaroo hopping.The wind blowing a door shut.Or even more disturbing, a neighbour’s dog barking.The time of day (or night) irrelevant.

Whatever the occasion, Lila throws her head back (the better to telegraph the news) and barks her very big bark. Preferably positioned on our veranda where she can scan the horizon for trouble spots.If I come out to investigate, she will rush over and push me with her front paws hoping to elicit some assistance.I usually tell her not to worry and disappear back into the house.

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